In recent years, worldwide use of computers has increased dramatically. Computer application programs (“programs”) are used for a variety of purposes including word processing, accounting, database management, desktop publishing, communications, and the like. The efficiency of computer utilization is improved by allowing a user to easily access a variety of different programs directed to accomplishing tasks and fulfilling the various goals of the user. For example, an accountant might make regular and extensive use of a word processing program, an e-mail program, a spreadsheet program, and a personal information manager. In addition, at certain times of the year, the accountant may use a tax preparation program. Rather than being used regularly throughout the year, the tax preparation program is only used frequently for a few months and is then discarded as outdated due to changes in the tax laws.
Accessing and executing programs is typically accomplished by selecting icons from a desktop, selecting an executable program directly from a directory of files, selecting a program from a listing of programs installed on the computer, or selecting a program from any of a variety of easy-to-access locations on an operating system user interface.
Some operating systems allow the user to customize program “execution points” (shortcuts, links, and other possible places to execute a program). For example, icons that access a specific program can be placed on a task bar or a desktop space. Such customization allows the advanced user to add execution points for programs that the user wants to quickly access and to remove execution points for programs the user no longer wants to quickly access. The placement and removal of icons related to execution points is normally done through a “drag and drop” process or through the operation of a dialog box or menu to add or delete execution points to particular programs. If a user desires to retrieve a deleted execution point, the user must search for the desired program and add an icon to the appropriate place from which the user desires to access the program. Customizing operating system execution points can be a complicated and confusing task. Unfortunately, most users lack the sophistication to perform execution point customizations. In many cases users will not delete a current execution point because they may need to access the related program in the future and are afraid that they may not be able to access the program if the execution point is deleted. As a result, execution point lists become longer and longer, making more frequently used programs more time consuming and difficult to access.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved method for assisting users in prioritizing execution points in a way that improves the accessibility of execution points associated with frequently used programs.